Day 092 - 27 Feb 95 - Page 08

     
     1        at the moment.
     2        A.  OK.
     3
     4   Q.   Not specifically pigs the meat of which goes to McDonald's,
     5        but then perhaps you are not being asked that because you
     6        said that you have not inspected farms which provide pigs
     7        which go to McDonald's, so you are just being asked about,
     8        as I understand it, practices which might prevail
     9        generally.
    10
    11   MS. STEEL:   So can you explain what these pens are?
    12        A.  Yes, I can.  The pens could be made of wood or mostly,
    13        it is mostly concrete.  It depends again on the materials
    14        that are available to the farmer and at the best cost for
    15        him.
    16
    17   Q.   Is that the floor you are talking about?
    18        A.  No, the walls.  The floor, most, sometimes at least
    19        half of it is covered with concrete and some areas, it
    20        depends on the length, it could be longer, but it is dirt.
    21
    22   Q.   Dirt?
    23        A.  But there are some farms that are completely made of
    24        just concrete.
    25
    26   Q.   Right.  Are there some with slatted floors?
    27        A.  Yes, there are.
    28
    29   Q.   How many typically would there be, between 10 to 30 weaners
    30        in a pen?
    31        A.  It could vary.  I have seen anywhere from 10 to 50.  It
    32        depends on the size of the pen and the management
    33        practices.
    34
    35   Q.   Are these mainly indoors?
    36        A.  Again, it depends on the environment.  If it is in a
    37        cold environment, yes, mostly it is indoors, but usually it
    38        is half and half, half covered and half is not.
    39
    40   Q.   Sometimes there is no bedding for the piglets?
         A.  Usually, no, they usually, when they clean they do not
    42        like to bury, sometimes they throw straws, depending on the
    43        farmer.
    44
    45   Q.   Sorry, so sometimes there is straw and sometimes there is
    46        not?
    47        A.  Yes.
    48
    49   Q.   In the indoor pig farms, can you describe what they are
    50        typically like? 
    51        A.  Describe, sorry, the last words, describe the indoor? 
    52 
    53   Q.   What they are like, yes?
    54        A.  Well, they are usually pens that cover ------
    55
    56   Q.   This is on to the fattening stage rather than the piglets.
    57
    58   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  This is after they have been weaned?
    59        A.  OK, after they have been weaned, the finishing part of
    60        the animal could be indoors, could be not be indoors.  Your